2014 Tourney Videos

[notroman]

I'm going to have two 32GB SD cards with me and 5 batteries, each one good for about an hour of power. I'm not using any fancy DSLR but rather a ~$300 HD camcorder, so I doubt the video size will be super huge. I ordered a monopod and a swivel ball mount. I'm pretty familiar with the courses so I will probably take some time looking over the maps and plan spots to film from to provide both a clear view of the players/shots as well as to minimize movement on my part so I don't have to run all over the place. Anything else I should be aware of/expect?

 

[Anon]

Anything else I should be aware of/expect?

- Be prepared for rain/weather. Always.

- Stand still. Don't breathe when a shot is taking place… not because you are in awe of the skill on display… but because you don't want shaky video.

- Don't get too dramatic with trying to follow discs in the air unless you have a quality zoom lens and know how to use it. You'll just end up with blair-witch video that will disorientate the viewer. JUST SAY 'NO' TO DIGITAL ZOOM - IT ALWAYS SUCKS.

- Think about quality audio. Get a decent shotgun mic so you can capture reactions/environmental sounds.


Just some quick thoughts from somebody in news/sports/commercial production.

I'm sure there are some 'disc golf' specific tips one of the CCDG guys, SpinTV guys or Marty McGee could chime in with.

 

[tbird888]

Get out and record friends playing before attempting to film an event. Experiment with all angles to see what you think works best. It's best to know the course before filming so you know most of the lines you'll be seeing.

It's not as easy to film an event as it looks. I found that one out the hard way. I ran out of batteries just over half way through and was left with really shaky (useless) footage.

 

[Anon]

Also, I don't think I've ever heard somebody complain about shooting a player from behind so you can see what is ahead of them and (idealy) follow their entire shot from release to landing.

On the other hand, I've DEFINITELY seen plenty of complaints when somebody tries to get cute with framing shots from a different angle off the tee.

"Behind the player" is easily the #1 angle you should be shooting from. You really can't go wrong.

Don't try to get too dramatic or 'artsy' unless you have somebody manning a 2nd camera. That way, if the 'artsy' angle turns out poorly… you always have the standard 'behind the player' angle to work with.

 

[pineappletrees]

*Get a monopod. A tripod is overkill.

*Zoom slowly to where the disc is going to land instead of following it left and right real close.

*Film a few casual rounds with your friends to get a hang of it. Let them figure it out too so you can get on film

*Get a lens filter kit. It helps with sun, water, indoor lighting.

*Film from behind as much as possible. It really makes the viewer feel like he's on the card

*If you're going to included scores in your video make sure to take a picture of the scorecard after the round. It's hell trying to count up the shots on film.

 

[notroman]

Thanks for the tips. I do agree with filming from behind. I was only going to stray from that on a few open par 4 holes to film them teeing off from a distance (not far from the landing zone) that way I don't have to move too much. I can wait for them to get to their discs, and film their upshots from the same spot. Other than that, I will mostly film from behind. Might be tough in the woods.

 

[pineappletrees]

Oh yeah. Everyone takes a different length of time for their warm up so a good idea is to film the first hole in one clip until you figure everyone's routine out. You can just hit record a second before you know they're going to start their run up. It will help save space on your cards. Also, make sure the basket is visible if possible. You don't want to miss an ace on film!

 

[New013]

 

[coupe]

Also, I don't think I've ever heard somebody complain about shooting a player from behind so you can see what is ahead of them and (idealy) follow their entire shot from release to landing. [snip]

"Behind the player" is easily the #1 angle you should be shooting from. You really can't go wrong.

Except when the thrower steps directly into the camera's field of view to follow the flight of the disc, and all you see is the thrower's back.

If you're going to shoot from behind the player, make sure you're positioned far enough back (and high enough) to have a wide enough field of view to follow the disc even if, for some reason, the thrower (or a cardmate) steps into the center of the frame during his/her follow through or to follow the disc's flight. You can't follow the action if there's a solid object wider than your camera's field of view 15-20' in front of your camera.

 

[Anon]

Except when the thrower steps directly into the camera's field of view to follow the flight of the disc, and all you see is the thrower's back.

Moments like this during a live event are where a cameraman needs to be dynamic and slightly adjust framing for that specific player (cheating a bit to the opposite side of their follow through).

Yes. You cannot "set it and forget it" when filming a live event. I sort of assumed that would fall under the 'obvious pitfalls' category.

 

[coupe]

Moments like this during a live event are where a cameraman needs to be dynamic and slightly adjust framing for that specific player (cheating a bit to the opposite side of their follow through).

Yes. You cannot "set it and forget it" when filming a live event. I sort of assumed that would fall under the 'obvious pitfalls' category.

It should fall under the "obvious pitfalls" category, but if the videos posted/linked here are any indication, it doesn't seem to be something that most videographers pay much attention to.

 

[JTacoma03]

Is there a separate thread out there with tips for people recording tourney rounds? I am thinking about recording one in about a week, and it would be my first video. I want to know from the veterans the do's and don'ts (not counting the usual disturbing players) of recording rounds. Is it better to do separate clips for each shot or just shoot it all and cut later? How do you plan on where to be for each shot? Do you scout the course ahead of time and plan your locations? etc. Not sure what to even search for so I'm asking here if this was discussed somewhere.

Some quick tips:

- (at your level of equipment) avoid using zooms as much as possible. JOG IT OUT and get close to the action. Zoomed in shots amplify hand shake and digital zoom degrades image quality (which again, at your level of equipment you can't afford any degredation).

- Buy a microphone...even just a cheapie $50 shotgun is better than the cameras internal mic. Internal mics will resonate the sound of you hitting the zoom rocker, or any hit on the chassis...a separated mic will at least buffer that and the shotgun will narrow the pickup pattern in the direction you are shooting. All of this is provided you have a camera with mic input of course.

- Use a monopod or portable stabilizer, your camera isn't heavy or big enough to brace against yourself to keep shots steady if it's a basic consumer camcorder.

- Walk a practice round (or throw with the pros is what I do at big events...so I at least get to see the course and play it once!) before the tournament and pick your spots. Know the pro lines so you're not surprised.

- As far as day of - I typically leave the camera running unless I know there will be a pause. There's always a delay in hitting the record and you need to have what's called "head" and "tail" surrounding the action so you can cut in and out without missing anything. Make sure you settle on a frame before the action happens, not as it happens or your cutting will be a nightmare.

- If you know who you are going to follow, learn their routines (quick putter? how many practice pumps? etc.) and you will be better prepared.

- Biggest thing is don't get caught "watching", always pay attention to framing (look at the 4 corners of the frame and know what you are recording). If you are recording you don't have the luxury of watching the round or you'll risk being what I call a lazy camera.

...all I can think of off the top of my head. Good luck!

 

[Royalhghnss]

Here's what I wrote for our new CCDG member Stu. Hope it helps some.

So here's what I got. Some of this is you'll already know, but I'm gonna try to be thorough.

You're gonna want to conserve battery by closing the camera while walking. I just say this because I had a guy help me a bit ago, and he didn't know to do this.

Film more rather than less. I can always edit out stuff.

Try to make a new clip in between each drive and upshot. It makes editing easier. If they're playing really fast then one clip is totally fine.

Filming the drive:

My favorite spot is to film behind the teepad, slightly off to one side. I think it gives the viewer the best view of the disc, and it's easiest to track the disc from there.

This is how I film. I get the camera pointed where the disc is going to go, watch the throw, and quickly figure out how the disc is giong to fly, then zoom in on the area where I know the disc is going to be. If you're not sure where the disc is exactly it's better to zoom in less. I use the little LCD screen btw, I haven't tried using the eye piece thing.

After a drive I try to zoom from where the disc landed, to where the basket is. This lets the viewer know how good the shot was.

Upshots and Putts:

For shorter upshots and putts I try to get the basket, and the player in view. The more to the side you are, the easier it is for the viewer to see how far the shot is. This especially goes for putts.

You really have to pay attention to who's up next (who's out), so you can set up the best shot.

 

[DeadEye]

^

I can appreciate you giving advice. But you do have to realize people see your username with the last post, and are expecting an awesome video.. right?

 

[Royalhghnss]

^

I can appreciate you giving advice. But you do have to realize people see your username with the last post, and are expecting an awesome video.. right?

Lol, fair enough. I'll drop a nugget in here in a bit. Maybe some more pre commentary stuff (if people like that stuff?). New with commentary vids won't be out until after Easter, it should be the whole Wintertime Open though. Tx State's coverage will be up at some point too (chase cards). O and I filmed a monthly at Morley too.

 

[5QU166Y]

Lol, fair enough. I'll drop a nugget in here in a bit. Maybe some more pre commentary stuff (if people like that stuff?). New with commentary vids won't be out until after Easter, it should be the whole Wintertime Open though. Tx State's coverage will be up at some point too (chase cards). O and I filmed a monthly at Morley too.

I'll watch just about anything with or without commentary.

 

[BennettUA]

Haven't seen that many hyzers since.....The Memorial.

And 90% of tourney videos.... :|

Only one hole(11) had the players throwing left to right, and it's 20' from being the shortest hole on the course.

 

[Royalhghnss]

It's still processing, but I wanted to post the link before I head to work. This is a DGCR preview / pre-commentary version of the Wintertime Open Round 1 Part 1

 

[JTacoma03]

This has its own thread as well, but figured I'd drop this here for y'all

 

[Aim For The Chains]